


Knights and Maidens

by Whedonista93



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Mentions of past abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:35:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29035557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whedonista93/pseuds/Whedonista93
Summary: Robb blinks up at Jon. “How long has that prick been in love with my sister?”
Relationships: Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93





	1. Jon

Sansa pulls over to the side of the road, just out of sight of the gates to Winterfell. 

Jon pulls his truck to stop behind her and jumps out, running up to her window, tapping gently until she rolls it down. “You good?”

Sansa nods. “Yeah. I just… needed a minute.”

“You only have to tell them what you want to tell them, Sansa.”

“Wouldn’t the truth be best?”

“Aye,” Jon agrees. “But if you’re not ready for that…”

Sansa exhales sharply. “Right.” She nods. “Okay, let’s go.”

Jon smiles softly and winks, then jogs back to his truck and pulls out onto the road in front of her.

In his rearview, he can see the tension in her shoulders drain away as they drive through the gates, parking in their respective spots around the wide circle drive. Sansa smiles so hard Jon worries her face is going to crack when she catches sight of Rickon playing with Shaggydog in the side yard. She’s barely out of her jeep before her youngest brother is sprinting toward her.

“Sansa!!!”

Sansa catches him, stumbling back into the side of her jeep. “Gods, Rick, did you grow a foot since last time I saw you?! You’re almost as tall as me!”

Rickon hugs her tightly. “Eight inches,” he declares proudly.

Sansa ruffles his hair. “You’ll be taller than Dad soon.”

Rickon beams. “Oh! Lady was out here, uh…”

Sansa straightens and releases him, then whistles sharply. “Lady”

Obedient as always, Lady comes bolting around the side of the house. The wolf-husky mix stops just shy of barrelling into Sansa’s legs and drops to her haunches, tongue lolling.

Sansa drops to her knees, wrapping her arms around her companions neck and burying her face in well-groomed fur. “I missed you, girl.”

“Is that Sansa’s jeep?” Catelyn’s voice comes from the stone stairs leading up to front door.

Jon forces a grin. “Look who I found in town.”

Sansa straightens, leaving one hand buried in Lady’s fur. “Surprise!”

“Oh!” Catelyn rushes down and envelopes Sansa in a hug. “Ned!!!”

Ned appears in the doorway a moment later, and between one blink and the next, she’s out of her mother’s arms and in her father’s, and then she’s crying.

By some bit of Northern magic, Catelyn has the whole family gathered in the dining room half an hour later as Sansa forces herself through an explanation of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Joffrey and the Lannisters. Jon feels the anger rising him again, just as hotly as it had ran when Sansa opened her apartment door with a bloody lip and bruises on her arms, but stamps it down in favor of resting a hand on her shoulder, as gently as she can, when she starts to stumble over her words.

Afterward, when Arya has whisked Sansa away, Jon and Robb meet each other’s eyes across the room, and silently make their way outside and then to Theon’s.

Theon greets them with an exuberant smile that dies the moment he sees their expressions. He ushers them in and calls out for pizza, then shoves them down at the table and passes out beers. “Okay, what the fuck is going on?”

“Sansa’s home,” Robb says.

Theon grins. “That’s great! Why do you guys look like someone died?”

“Someone should,” Jon mutters. 

Theon raises an eyebrow.

Robb heaves a sigh and recounts a paraphrased version of what Sansa had told them.

“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” Theon announces.

 _I should’ve_ , Jon thinks. Breaking the little shit’s nose was satisfying, but not enough.


	2. Theon

Theon’s breath leaves him at the sight of Sansa. There are still fading bruises on her arms, and she’s too thin, but she’s  _ here _ and she’s smiling at him.

She bites her lip, then winces when her teeth catch on her still-healing split lip. “Um, can I come in?”

Her voice startles Theon out of his daze, and he reaches out and tucks a finger through one of her belt loops, hauling her against his chest and into his arms. “Welcome home.”

He orders her favorite Chinese takeout and digs out several bottles of wine buried at the back of his pantry - the stuff he’s always kept on hand just for her - and turns on some marathon of shitty rom-coms until they fall asleep on his couch.

Movie nights turn into a Thing after that. Theon’s not complaining.


	3. Sansa

**Theon: Your brother is ignoring be. Tell him he's a sick.**

**Theon: *me**

**Theon: **dick**

**Theon: wait, do u say dick?**

**Theon: No, too proper for that.**

**Theon: tell him he a prick**

**Theon: that's not better**

**Theon: dick**

**Theon: alredy said dick, didnt i?**

**Theon: how does a princess insult someone?**

Sansa smiles bemusedly at her phone, buzzing rapid fire.

"Who the hells is texting you?" Robb grumbles.

Sansa opens her camera with a flick of her finger and hits the button to record. "Theon says you're a dick."

Robb's jaw drops.

Sansa giggles and sends the video to Theon.

**Theon** **: awwwh have I finally corrupted u? So proud!**


	4. Theon

Theon drags himself out of bed for work the next morning, not quite sure if he’s hungover or still drunk. He has to blink several times to make sure he’s not hallucinating when he sees Sansa leaning against his beat up old Ford in a green sundress with white polka dots and sunglasses perched in her loose hair. “San?”

Sansa smiles brightly. “Good morning!”

Theon spares a brief thanks to the gods that he brushed his teeth before he stumbled out of his apartment. “The fuck are you doin’ here?”

Sansa holds out a cup of takeaway coffee.

Theon lurches forward and snatches it greedily. “Bless you, woman.”

Sansa grins. “I thought you might need a bit of help feeling human after last night.”

Theon groans, then looks up at her and blinks. “Did I get you to call Robb a dick?”

Sansa nods, eyes shining in amusement.

Theon chuckles. “Who knew you had it in you?”

Sansa’s smile turns brittle, and he hates himself a bit for causing that. “I’m not the same girl who left for King’s Landing, Theon.”

Theon flinches, and reaches out to sling an arm around her shoulders. “I know, love.”

Sansa sighs and snuggles into his side.

“What are you really doing here?” Theon asks after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Sansa rolls her eyes. “I really didn’t trust you would be able to drive yourself to work.” She holds her hand out. “Keys?”

Theon rolls his eyes, but digs them out of his pocket and hands them over.

Sansa happily hops into the driver’s seat.

“‘M not gettin’ my truck back today, am I?” Theon asks suspiciously.

Sansa grins as the engine roars to life. “Absolutely. I’ll pick you up when you get off.”

Theon rolls his eyes. “At least swing through a drive thru so I don’t starve at lunch.”

Sansa rolls her eyes back and nods toward her oversized purse on the bench seat between them. “As if I would steal your truck  _ and  _ leave you to fend for yourself.”

Theon dives for the bag and shouts victoriously when he emerges with containers of pasta and brownies. “I knew you loved me.”

Sansa smirks. “There’s a breakfast burrito in there too.”

Theon manages to dig the foil wrapped burrito out and bites into it with an appreciative groan. “You are a gift from the gods, woman.”

Between the coffee and the grease, Theon feels mostly human when they pull up to the shop he works at ten minutes later.

“Still get off at five?” Sansa asks.

Theon nods. “I can find something to tinker with or keep me busy if you’ll be a bit longer.”

Sansa merely smiles in response.

Theon gives into impulse and leans across the seat to kiss her cheek. “See you tonight, love.”

Sansa waves as he walks into the bay.

Davos raises an eyebrow. “You’re actually lettin’ someone else drive that piece o’ shit?”

Theon, knowing full well he’s overly protective of his bucket of rust, flips his boss off over his shoulder as he hides his lunch in the fridge, behind some Tupperware with questionable contents. “I haven’t been able to tell her no since she was eight.”

“The Stark girl, then?”

Theon huffs. “Who the fuck else?”

“I know the girl’s got a car. You have the damn thing in here every time she’s home.”

“Not  _ every _ time,” Theon argues petulantly.

“That twenty year old jeep is better maintained than half the luxury cars I’ve seen.”

“What’s your point, old man?”

“Why isn’t she driving her own car?”

Theon freezes just long enough to give himself away.

Davos casts his eyes toward the ceiling. “You didn’t even ask.”

Theon shrugs. “I don’t care.”

Davos shakes his head and plucks Theon’s coveralls off the wall and throws them at him. “Get to work, you hopeless sap.”

Theon salutes sarcastically.

Gendry’s attention zeros in on Theon the second he pulls his lunch out of the old microwave in the corner of the shop, reminding Theon precisely why he’d hidden in the first place. “Is that Sansa’s chicken pomodoro?”

Theon hugs the bowl close. “Mine!”

Gendry advances toward him.

Theon shoves his brownies in the pocket of his coveralls, stabs Gendry’s reaching hand with his fork, and sprints across the bay to the broken hydraulic lift and scampers up to the top.

Gendry glares up at him. “You’ll have to come down eventually.”

Theon grins. “Yeah, but not until after I finish my pasta.”

Gendry grumbles his way back across the bay and decimates three sandwiches, glaring at Theon the whole time. Theon shamelessly licks the bowl clean and scarfs down all three brownies, then waits until Gendry is busy with a customer to scale back down to the ground.

Theon’s truck rumbles up outside the garage precisely fifteen minutes before the shop closes, and Sansa hops out with a smile and wave.

Theon grins and waves back. “Hope you didn’t rush on my account.”

Sansa shakes her head and leans against the open bay door. “Not at all. You’re much better company.”

Theon raises an eyebrow.

Sansa heaves a sigh. “I had to meet the prosecuting attorney in Wintertown.”

Theon frowns. “I wasn’t gonna ask, love.”

Sansa shrugs. “I figure I owe you some kind of explanation. If my family had seen my jeep gone, they would have been blowing up my phone all day and-”

“San!” Theon holds a hand up. “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself.”

Sansa smiles weakly.

“Oi!” Gendry calls across the garage, spotting Sansa as he comes out of the office.

Sansa pastes on a smile that only Theon is likely to realize isn’t entirely genuine. “Hello, Gendry!”

Gendry frowns. “Don’t you ‘hello’ me.”

Sansa startles.

Theon throws a wrench at the larger man. “Be nice!”

Gendry bats the wrench aside like a gnat and puts on a dramatic pout. “Why’s this lout get pasta?”

That startles a laugh out of Sansa. “Oh! Is that why you’re put out with me?”

“Duh!”

Sansa’s smile finally reaches her eyes. “I’ll make you a deal.”

Gendry perks up.

“Don’t tell anyone - my sister included - that you saw me today, and I’ll send lunch in for you tomorrow with Theon.”

“Deal!” Gendry agrees immediately. “I think another one of Arya’s sandwiches might actually kill me.”

The sparkle in Sansa’s eye turns into a gleam. “And if you tell my sister you saw me, I’ll tell her you said so.”

Gendry blanches.

Theon hangs his coveralls on the wall and scrubs as much of the grease off his hands as he can before crossing the garage and swinging an arm around Sansa’s shoulders. “Care to relinquish my keys and let me take you to dinner?”

Sansa sags into him. “Gods, yes. I’m starving.”

Theon frowns. “Did you eat anything today?”

Sansa scrunches her nose. “I had coffee this morning. And this afternoon.”

“Coffee is not food, San.”

“One of them was a frappe. That’s kind of like a milkshake and a milkshake is kind of food.”

Theon rolls his eyes and herds her into the passenger side of his truck. “Hypocrite,” he accuses fondly, slamming the door before she can retort.

Theon drives them across town and tucks Sansa into the back booth of a greasy little diner in relative silence. Halfway through their burgers, Theon finally has enough. “What are you doing, San? What are we doing?”

Sansa suddenly becomes very interested in her fries.

Theon reaches across the table and gently lays his hand over one of hers. “You don’t have to explain anything you don’t want to, love. But… we didn’t hang out like this, before.” He takes a deep breath and decides to put himself out there, at least a bit. He looks down at his hand over hers. “I don’t want to get used to having you around if it’s not gonna last.”

Sansa immediately turns her hand over under his, so their palms are touching, and she can squeeze gently. “That’s not going to happen. I’m sorry I was such a brat before.” Theon looks back up at her, and she meets his eyes. “I realized something, when you texted me last night.”

“What’s that?” 

“You’re the only one who treats me normally,” her voice hitches, “since I came back. And I need that. Desperately. I’m sorry if that’s selfish.”

Theon laughs. “Selfish? Gods, San… no. I…” He exhales and closes his eyes. “Do you remember? My junior year I went back the Iron Isles, and then that summer, I was with…”

“Ramsay,” Sansa says softly, nodding. “I remember.”

“I was… gods, I was so fucked up when I crawled back to the gates of Winterfell. Ned looked at me like he was disappointed all the time. Catelyn went back and forth between disgusted and pitying. Robb and Jon didn’t know how to fucking act. Bran was in the beginning of that annoyingly cryptic phase. Arya just avoided me. And Rickon was too young to understand any of it. But you… gods, you. You hugged me, and welcomed me home, and then continued being the same demanding princess you’d always been. The only time I felt like I could breathe was when I was with you. So, no, San… it’s the farthest thing from selfish. And even if it was selfish, I owe you. It didn’t last back then. You moved to the city and met…” He trails off. “And that’s why I’m fucking terrified now. I don’t think I could lose you like that twice.”

Sansa blinks away tears. “I’m not going anywhere.”


	5. Sansa

**Arya: Where are you?**

**Sansa: Home**

**Arya: Liar**

**Sansa: ???**

**Arya: Your jeep is home.**

**Arya: You are not home.**

**Arya: I broke in through your studio window just to make sure.**

**Arya: So where are you?**

**Sansa: Obviously not home, nosy.**

**Arya: Has anyone seen Sansa?**

**Robb: Not since dinner w/ the parentals last night**

**Jon: Same.**

**Rickon: no**

**Talisa: She was walking into the coffee shop this morning as I was walking out**

**Bran: Not physically.**

**Arya: Gendry? Theon?**

**Gendry:** **_typing..._ **

**Theon: Nope.**

**Theon: Nosy.**

**Arya: THEON GREYJOY! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SISTER?!**

**Robb: Why would Theon know?**

**Arya: He called me nosy.**

**Talisa: You’re being nosy.**

**Arya: Sansa JUST called me nosy. He knows where she is.**

**Theon: Fuck off.**

**Arya: I will come to your apartment, Greyjoy.**

**Arya: Don’t test me.**

**Theon: Go ahead. Not there.**

**Talisa: You’re not, or Sansa’s not?**

**Theon: Yes.**

Sansa eyes Theon’s phone warily, caught somewhere between amusement and horror. “My family?”

Theon rolls his eyes and nods. “Yeah.” He tosses her the phone, group chat still open on the screen.”

Sansa snorts. “Have we always been this mental?”

“Yes,” Theon answers with no hesitation.

Sansa kicks his leg playfully. “Rude.”

“Honest.”

Sansa sticks her tongue out at him, then turns her eyes back to the screen. “Gendry is going to break.”

Theon snorts. “Without a doubt.”

“And Arya really will break into your apartment.”

Theon shrugs. “Good thing we’re not there, then, isn’t it?”

Sansa laughs softly. “Yes. That was excellent foresight. Are you sure Yara won’t mind?”

“She won’t mind,” Yara’s voice comes from the doorway.

Theon raises a lazy hand. “Hey, sis. You remember Sansa?”

Yara scoffs. “Do I remember the girl you haven’t shut the fuck about since you were twelve years old? Yeah, little brother. I remember her.”

Theon, to Sansa’s amusement, actually blushes.

Sansa grins over her shoulder at Yara. “He talks about me, does he?”

“Hard to get him to talk about anything else.”

“Yara, you can shut the fuck up any time now!” Theon practically shouts at his sister. 

Yara tilts her head, eyes narrowing dangerously. “I really don’t think I will. Why are you hiding out at my place again?”

Sansa flinches. “That’s actually for my sake. My family is driving me crazy, and Theon’s is one of the first places they’ll look for me.”

Yara grins. “Great. He can go. You stay.”

Theon shakes his head. “No fucking way. I am  _ not _ leaving you two alone together.”

Sansa pouts at him. “No fun.”

Yara rolls her eyes and vanishes down the hall. “I’m gonna wash the bar off. Make yourselves at home.”

Sansa’s phone buzzes.

**Jon: You okay?**

**Sansa: I’m fine.**

**Jon: Need a break?**

**Sansa: Gods, yes.**

**Jon: I’ll try to fend off the pack.**

**Sansa: Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?**

Sansa sighs in relief. “Jon’s going to fend them off.”

“You seem closer, since you came back,” Theon observes carefully.

Sansa blinks in surprise. “You don’t know?”

Theon shakes his head. “Know what?”

“Huh,” Sansa bites her lip. “I figured he would have told at least you and Robb.”

“Told us what?”

“He’s the one that got me out.”

Theon blinks. “He what?”

Sansa shrugs. “He’s the one who realized there was something… off when I talked to anyone at home.” Sansa twists her fingers nervously through the ends of her hair. “Everyone basically assumed that it was just because I was in a relationship and school and… I don’t know, wanted to distance myself and be an adult or something? Jon came down to check on me anyway.” Theon is pale and his hands are shaking when she manages to look back up at him. “Theon?”

Theon reaches for her with shaking hands, and she untangles her fingers from her hair, leaning into him willingly. “I’m so sorry, San. I never… gods that’s exactly what I thought. I was the guy friend from back home. I wasn’t surprised when you stopped talking to me. Then you were home and…”

Sansa snuggles into him. “It’s not your fault, Theon.”

Theon exhales shakily and clutches her tighter. “I’m still sorry.”

“You’re here now.”

“As long as you want me, however you want me,” he whispers into her hair.


	6. Robb

“For real, though, should we be worried about Sansa?” Robb asks, throwing Grey Wind’s ball as far into the woodline as he can.

Jon shrugs. “She’s with Theon.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

Jon ruffles Ghost’s ears. “Aye.”

“We don’t even know where they are!”

“Why does it matter?”

“ _Because_ it’s Theon.”

“That’s exactly why it shouldn’t matter where they are.”

“You’re making no sense.”

Jon rolls his eyes. “Sometimes you’re really dense, mate.”

“Oi!”

“Theon would rather cut off his own cock than hurt Sansa.”

Robb’s brain screeches to a halt, then runs rapid fire through memories. Theon teasing Sansa when they were children. The shift between Sansa and Theon when Theon came back to Winterfell for his senior year. The grumpy asshole Theon turned into after Sansa left them for university and King’s Landing and Joffrey. The fact that he can’t remember Theon even hooking up with someone, much less actually dating anyone, aside from Ros for all of about five minutes right after Sansa left. How Sansa always seems less tense, more herself, when Theon is around. Grey Wind crashes into his legs, knocking him to the ground and abruptly ending his train of thought. He blinks up at Jon. “How long has that prick been in love with my sister?”

Jon, the prat, simply laughs and offers him a hand up off the ground.


	7. Theon

Theon smiles to himself when he sees Sansa’s jeep outside his apartment, then frowns when he sees Robb’s SUV, Jon’s truck, and Arya’s motorcycle as well.

**Theon: Should I be scared to come inside, love?**

**Sansa: GODS, YES!**

**Sansa: Don’t.**

**Sansa: Seriously, pull down the block before anyone hears your truck.**

**Theon: And leave you to suffer alone?**

**Sansa: No. I’m sneaking out the bathroom window and we’re running away.**

**Theon: Where to?**

**Sansa: Not Yara’s. Arya figured it out.**

**Theon: And then Robb blatantly abused his job at city hall to find her address?**

**Sansa: Or Arya followed one of us.**

**Sansa: But most likely.**

**Sansa: Why did we anyone think it was a good idea to elect him mayor?**

**Theon: …**

**Theon: I can’t remember.**

**Theon: Were we drunk?**

**Sansa: Maybe**

**Theon: Thought you were sneaking out**

**Sansa: Trying. Think Arya suspects. Doesn’t even was to let me take a piss by myself.**

**Sansa: *want**

**Theon: Enlist Gendry for distraction.**

**Theon: He’s easy to bribe and he’s not scared of her.**

**Theon: Hurry up. It’s fucking freezing out here and you know my heater doesn’t like to blow for shit when the truck’s idling.**

Theon taps his fingers on the gearshift impatiently, but grins a pumps his fist triumphantly less than ten minutes later when he sees a duffel bag tossed out his third story window, then Sansa’s lithe body shimmying down the drain pipe. She full on sprints to the truck, sliding all the way to the middle and settling the duffel next to her as she pulls the door closed.

Theon shifts into gear and hits the gas, even as he eyes Sansa warily. “You look like we’re really running away.”

“We are,” Sansa says resolutely. “At least until those assholes have to go back to work on Monday.”

Theon chuckles. “Alright, love, if we can’t go to Yara’s, where do you suggest?”

Sansa chews on her bottom lip. “I hadn’t gotten that far.”

Theon heaves a sigh, but rolls his eyes and points his truck toward the coast. Half an hour later, he pulls off a narrow, wooded drive and parks in front of a two-story house, all stone and rough-hewn wood.

Sansa blinks out the window at it, then turns her curious gaze toward Theon.

He climbs out of the truck and holds his hand out to her. “Come on.”

Sansa takes his hand and slides out of the truck and up onto the wide porch.

Theon forces himself to breathe as he tries to find the right key in the dimming light. When he built this place, he never imagined he would ever  _ actually _ show it to Sansa. He flips the porch and entry lights on and gestures Sansa inside. “Go ahead and look around, make yourself at home. I’ll grab the bag.”

Theon takes an unnecessarily long time retrieving the one duffle Sansa had managed to snake out with her and by the time he steps inside and locks the door behind him, most of the lights in the house are on. He drops the bag inside the door and wanders through the house, taking it in like he hasn’t allowed himself to indulge in since the day he finished it.

The living room has a large television mounted in one corner, but is dominated by the large fireplace on the far wall. It’s painted a soft green, companionably contrasting with the leather furniture and dark coffee and side tables. A painting of Winterfell hangs over the fireplace. The rest of the picture frames, throughout the house, are empty. 

He wanders down the hall and glances into the guest bedroom, and across the hall into the downstairs bathroom. Both are painted blue and decorated nautically, bringing a bittersweet reminder of his birthplace.

He passes the stairs and leans in the doorway of the kitchen, painted a happy yellow. Stainless steel appliances gleam under the overhead lights, and an eclectic mix of copper and cast iron dishes shine from the pot rack hanging on one wall. He’d salvaged and restored the dining table from the Starks’ garage.

He sighs and turns his back on the kitchen and dining room, making his way upstairs. He spares brief glances into the first two rooms - a neutral beige painted bedroom with bunkbeds on one wall and empty dressers and toy chests on the opposite wall, and a soft gray nursery, decorated in stars and forest animals.

He finds Sansa in the master bedroom, next to the giant, white, four-poster bed against the far wall. The walls are a darker gray than the nursery. The bedspread is a dark green, and there are green and gray pillows piled high on the bed. Theon finally registers that she’s holding the picture frame that had been on the nightstand, and suddenly remembers, with vivid clarity, indulging his drunken self and putting a picture of himself and Sansa in the frame. “Fuck.”

Sansa looks up at him, eyes wide and wet. “Theon?”

Theon closes his eyes, bracing himself for whatever is coming.

He hears Sansa take a shaky breath. “What is this place?”

Theon leans back against the doorframe, keeping his eyes closed. “I built it. After you left for King’s Landing. I…” he huffs out a mirthless laugh. “I never told anyone about it, but… Gods, I scoured your fucking Pinterest boards. I had some twisted thought that it would get you out of my head and out from under my skin.” He turns sideways and thumps his head back against the doorway.

“Did it work?” Sansa asks, voice much closer.

When Theon focuses, he can feel her body heat in front of him. He opens his eyes and looks down at her. “It took me four years to finish everything. I locked it up a month before you came home and haven’t been back since, because every time I looked at it, it just reminded me of a life I could never have.”

Sansa tilts her head. “What life is that?”

“One with you,” Theon admits quietly.

Sansa laughs.

Theon jerks back. “You think this is funny?”

Sansa nods, pursing her lips together. “Hysterical, actually.”

Theon frowns and storms away.

Sansa stands there in shock for a moment before she laughs again and chases after him. “Oh, gods, Theon, wait!”

Never able to refuse her, he stops in the living room.

Sansa grabs his arms and steers him onto the couch. “I’m sorry for laughing.”

“You’re still laughing,” Theon mutters.

Sansa sobers and reaches up to cup his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Theon, I’m sorry.” She sighs and leans back. “Do you know why all my siblings were at your apartment tonight?”

Theon quirks a brow.

“Arya found out about our movie nights. And they decided it was time to stage an intervention.”

Theon frowns. “They don’t want you around me?”

Sansa rolls her eyes. “Gods, you’re thick. They told me you were in love with me.”

Theon tenses and his gaze darts to Sansa.

Her eyes shine back at him. “I didn’t believe them until you brought me here.”

Theon hangs his head, unable to make his confession facing her. “I’ve been gone on you since I was twelve years old, love.”

“Theon,” Sansa leans forward and cups both her hands around his face, forcing him to look at her. “I’ve been gone on you since I was eight.”

Theon blinks. “What?”

Sansa smiles, something soft and warm. “You were the only one who would play knights and maidens with me.”

Theon grins. “I got to wallop Robb with a stick and you always gave me a kiss on the cheek when I won.”

Sansa tilts her head. “And then you grew up and built me a secret castle in the woods.”

Theon snorts. “Hardly a castle.”

“Theon,” Sansa chides.

Theon sighs.

“Theon, I already know the answer, but…”

Theon’s lips twitch. “Aye, Sansa, I love you.”

Sansa beams, and the knot that has taken residence in his chest when he saw her holding that picture finally loosens.

Theon clears his throat. “So now what?”

Sansa grins and shifts, tossing her leg over Theon’s lap and straddling him. “Well, first, I tell you I love you too.”

Theon rests his hands on her hips and smiles. “Good start.”

“Third, we hide here for the weekend, away from my family and your sister-”

“My sister was there too?!”

Sansa raises a brow.

“Sorry, proceed.”

“Fourth, we give Robb and my mother a collective heart attack and get married. Fifth, we move into our castle in the woods and live happily ever after.”

Theon chuckles. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”

Sansa rests her arms over his shoulders and hums happily.

“You skipped second, love.”

“Did I?” Sansa asks innocently.

Theon nods, rubbing his thumbs back and forth across the sliver of skin bare between her jeans and blouse.

Sansa leans in. “Second, you kiss me.”

Theon obliges, lifting one hand to tangle in her hair and pull her close.

Sansa’s phone starts buzzing insistently in her pocket makes them pull apart.

**Arya: You bitch! Did you really sneak out the window??**

**Sansa: Yes. And I’m not coming back.**

**Arya: Are you with Theon?**

**Sansa: Yes.**

**Arya: This is for your own good!**

**Sansa: Fuck off**

**Arya: Theon’s rubbing on you**

**Sansa: Maybe later**

**Arya: What?!**

**Arya: Sansa!**

**Arya: You can’t just say shit like that!**

**Arya: Answer me!**

Sansa silences her phone and tosses it onto the adjacent chair. 

Theon’s phone dings.

“Ignore that,” Sansa warns.

Theon silences it and tosses it next to hers with a grin. “Where were we?”

“Right here,” Sansa breathes against his lips.


End file.
